The Tale of Asia
by Rainbowcupcakes579
Summary: Asia, introverted, dark, angry - and sister of the famouse Princess Rupunzel. Her life changes drastically when she's taken to the School for Good. Now she finally has a chance at finding her sister. But she has to survive school first. Terrible summery. Rated T for (maybe) futere stuff.
1. Chapter 1

"IN THE FORREST PRIMEVAL

A SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

TWO TOWERS LIKE TWIN HEADS

ONE FOR THE PURE

ONE FOR THE WICKED

TRY TO ESCAPE YOU'LL ALWAYS FAIL

THE ONLY WAY OUT IS

THROUGH A FAIRYTALE"

It was the night of the taking. The villagers fear was palpable as they rushed through centuries worth of preparations. Muddying and shearing of the hair of the good ones, and telling them to behave as badly as possible, and swathing the bad ones in bright colors, and begging them to behave their best. The rest were locked in their homes for the day, given ordinary toys to play with, and ordinary meals to eat.

From a shadowy window, 10 year old Asia watched. Her sister, Rapunzel, sat on the scratchy brown bed they shared. Her face was stained with tears, and she was trying hard not to cry again. Asia could see her hands turning pale because of her grip on the covers, and she was biting her lip in that special way people do when their beyond frightened. She had good reason. She was 13, within the age of the taking. And worse, she was the nicest, kindest, most thoughtful person in their village, Gavaldon.

Her parents had already shorn of her waist length hair, the color of sunlight, and mudded her face, like the protocol of the village said they should. But nothing they could could change her spirit. Asia had watched Rupunzel day after day as she fed the large, homeless population of Gavaldon, sacrificed all her afternoons to help take care of their grandmother, and helped keep their family together. Even at her young age, Asia could see that the probability that her sister would be taken was extremely high.

As the last light of day faded to dark, a disfigured shadow slipped out of the vast woods. It swirled through alleyways, up walls, and over roofs. It swiveled, spotting the house it was searching for. A devious, fanged smile crept it's way onto the shadow's face.

Asia saw the shadow slip through the window, and creep towards Rapunzel's small, hard bed. Asia shrieked a warning, but it was to late. The shadow grabbed Rapunzel's small, soft foot, and yanked her out of her bed, across the floor, out the window, out of Asia's grasp-

Asia's fingers locked with Rapunzel's, and together, they were dragged across town. Rapunzal was screaming for Asia to let go, to save herself. She responded by grabbing Rupunzel's other hand. The shadow, annoyed by her presence, attempted to shake her out of Rupunzel's arms. Asia was slammed into buildings , crushed into the ground, even submerged in a lake, but her grip never failed.

Finally, just as they were nearing the woods, the now furious shadow drew out an iron claw. Time slowed down as it swung. Asia's eyes widened as it drew closer, closer-

And sliced three huge gashes into her face. She lost her grip, and was slammed into the first trees of the woods. She slid to the ground with a sickening thud. The last thing she saw before the pain overwhelmed her was her sister, her dear sister, being dragged, screaming, into the dark, foreboding woods. She slumped her head to the ground in defeat.


	2. Chapter 2

4 years later...

Asia woke up to the familiar pandemonium of the day of the taking. She growled as she rolled out of bed, onto the floor, and stomped over to her filthy window. She glared out at the masses, remembering all too well how the last taking had ended. Her sister. Stolen. The only way she could see her sister now was by looking in her story.

One year ago, three years after she had been taken, the bookmaker had received yet another onslaught of fairy tails. Asia had rushed to the bookstore the minute she heard about it, and low behold, there she was. Her sister, Rupunzel, hair no longer short and jagged, but impossibly long. Impossible features, beautiful figure, she looked like a fairy tale princess.

Her story, dubbed 'Rupunzel', was about her being locked in a tower by an evil witch, before being freed by a handsome prince. She looked so happy and carefree. Did she not miss her family? "But who needs family when you attend a school for princesses and princes" she murmured to herself.

Still murmuring, she pulled out a pair of worn jeans and a navy blouse. Onto her feet, she pulled on a pair of hiking boots, and yanked on a black hoodie. She studied herself in the mirror. Her chocolate eyes, button nose, pink lips-

Ruined by that scar.

(Flashback) (yes, I know this is cliche)

The first thing she registered was pain. Pain so unbelievably intense, that, for a minute, she couldn't even move. Once she could, she unleashed a scream that rivaled a wolf's howl. She writhed and scrabbled at anything she could reach. There were shouts, the sound of running feet, then the feeling of many arms holding her down. They were poking and prodding at the three scars, running vertically down her face, from just above her eyebrow, to the bottom of her cheek. She fainted again, the pain shutting her down.

She awoke, this time, in her own bed. She attempted to push herself up, only to be struck by a bolt of pain. She collapsed back into her bed, cradling her cheek. Only then, did she remember why she had these scars in the first place. 'Rupunzal'... she thought. Tears dripped from her eyes, and slipped down her face. They stung her scars, so she stopped very fast.

She changed drastically. She was no longer a kind, innocent, lighthearted, girl. She shut herself off from everyone, hiding in her room, or the library, or, on certain occasions, the roof. She hid her face, feelings, and life from everyone, even her parents. Her friends came by less and less, until they finally stopped altogether. She didn't care. Why would she care? Why have friends at all? They only weigh you down.

(End flashback)

She traced her fingers over it, wincing. It would probably never disappear. Always a reminder of how she'd failed to save her sister. She shrugged away from the mirror, and climbed out her window, onto the roof. She sat there for a long time...

The loud cry of a raven awoke her. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. 'How long was I asleep?' she wondered. The sun blazed gold on the horizon, spilling its last rays before leaving. Joints cracking, Asia rose unsteadily from her seated position, the feeling only just returning to it.

She could here her parents yelling for her, so she clambered back down the roof and back into her bedroom. She slipped under her worn blankets, and mused about who would be taken.

'Swanilda is the sweetest girl in the village, but very oblivious and, rather dumb. Aspophal stones birds for fun, but he wouldn't be able to truly hurt someone. Bella-'

She started when she heard a large thump on her roof...


	3. Chapter 3

Asia was fully awake and alert immediately. She listened intently as the thuds moved slowly across her roof, edging nearer and nearer to her window. Finally snapping into action, Asia leapt out of her bed, and bolted across the hardwood floor, towards the door of her bedroom. She eased it open and slipped out into the dark hallway.

She tiptoed into her parent's room, and snuck under their huge pinewood, four poster bed. She pulled the ivory colored blankets over the sides of the bed, then backed into the corner. Thumps echoed through the small house as the shadow overturned furniture and searched through closets for her.

Then, the handle of her parents bedroom opened. Asia panicked, and shrunk even further into the corner. Thuds shook the floor, growing closer and closer, until -

A black tendril wrapped around Asia's waist.

Asia was yanked, screaming, out from under the bed. As she was whipped out the doorway, she heard her parent's frantic calls. Still screaming, Asia was dragged out of her house, past the bakery, through the village square, right into 18, Baltimore Street. She was whisked through the house so fast, her eyes watered, and was then joined by another shrieking figure.

They were both dragged through the village, screaming and flailing, desperately attempting to break free. As they passed through the light of the street lamps, Asia saw her partner. It was Absinthe, the daughter of the grave digger. She had a ridiculously long, pointed nose, thin lips, pasty skin, choppy red hair, and piercing yellow eyes. She bullied children of all ages, but got away with it because she set up scenarios where they would ultimately be found guilty.

She flailed around next to Asia, desperately kicking her legs in a useless attempt to break free. Her arms and legs hit Asia left, right, and center. She turned to Asia for a brief moment to glare at her, then resumed her screaming.

"Calm down!" Asia screeched, although she would have been doing the same thing if there was more room.

Absinthe scowled. "CALM DOWN! WHY SHOULD I TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU LITTLE MISS-". She uttered a few words so offensive, that Asia gasped and slapped her. They were bickering so much, that they didn't realize that they were in the Endless woods until it was to late. The thick canopy of trees captured any light, leaving them being dragged into darkness.

Absinthe snatched a branch from the forest floor, and swung it at the shadow. It merely batted it away, onto the dirt ground. While Absinthe cursed, Asia spotted a small, silver object resting on the leaves. As they rushed towards it, Asia got a better glimpse at it.

It was a silver chain necklace, with an intricate locket carved into a rose. As she whisked past, Asia's hand snagged onto the necklace. She gasped as she recognized it. It was Rapunzel's, a gift given to her by Brandon, the blacksmith Joel's son. The two were best friends, before he had lied to her, betrayed her, and hurt her.

Asia scowled. Luckily he had been taken for Evil. 'He deserved it' she thought savagely, as she remembered the day he'd hurt Rapunzel.

Asia had been running through the center square of Gavaldon with her friends. Ducking into an alleyway, she realized she wasn't alone. Game forgotten, she crept behind a trash can to listen. She recognized Rapunzel's voice immediately, but not the other. Whoever it was, they were yelling at her like their life depended on it.

Peeking out, she spotted Rapunzel's distressed face, and -

Wait, what?

It was Rupunzel's best friend, Brandon, son of the blacksmith. He was usually kind and sweet - to everyone who could better his life. Like Rapunzel. She had given countless checks to him, in order to "better his life" as she put it. Recently, she hadn't made as much money, due to the boss of the pastry shop, where she worked, retiring from his pastry making duties. With less people to turn out pastries, less pastries were sold, and less money was earned. She didn't have enough to give him a check.

His face was furious. Asia didn't understand at the time. Why was he angry? She could simply give him the check next time. Then he reached up and punched her. She flew ten feet before slamming the ground. Asia glimpsed a bloody lip, before Rapunzel kicked him in... well, let's just say it was very painful for him. With him groaning on the ground, Rapunzel bolted out of the alleyway.

Asia was snapped back to reality by Absinthe hitting her face with a branch. Gasping loudly, Asia turned to hit her, only to see Absinthe draw back the branch, prepare to swing at the shadow-

Then the shadow disappeared.

Absinthe dropped the branch in surprise. They were sitting in a ridiculously enormous, orangey brown leaf. Absinthe sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness it's over". Then the leaf slingshot them up to the next branch. They screamed as they were flung up the tree, branch by branch.

"What the hell is going on!" screamed Absinthe. They were flung a final time, and landed with an omph. Asia scrambled to her feet, searching for whatever they had been brought up here for. Her eyes found over a round, black object. She uncertainly edged closer. It didn't look suspicious.

Then it cracked.

Asia screamed, falling backwards. Absinthe turned, annoyance turning to fear as she saw what had emerged from the egg. A enormous bird, made entirely of bones. It glared at them, before producing an unearthly screech. It charged at the screaming girls, and grabbed one in each claw. It took to the sky, still screeching.

Asia shut her eyes, waiting for the bird to drop them. It didn't. She tentatively peeked open one eye, then the other. She gazed down, and gasped. Bellow her was spread an enormous land, nothing like the one she had left. Towering mountains housed tumbling waterfall, which fell into valleys filled with every color in the rainbow. Absinthe opened her eyes, and gaped at their surroundings. Then she scowled, squinting her eyes.

"Too bright" she grumbled.

Their surroundings grew closer and closer, as the bird began descending. As they passed between two colossal mountains, Absinthe gasped.

"No way!" Asia turned to see... it. The place she'd dreamed of finding for over 4 years, was directly in front of her.

The School for Good and Evil.

As they grew ever closer, Asia could pick out the details of it. The school was enormous. It was composed of 2 separate castles, one made of pink and blue crystal, emitting a radiant light from its walls. The other, a bleak piece of disgusting black stone, partially covered in a evil green fog. A lake separated the 2 schools, half clear, half black and green sludge. Only a single bridge and a clearing behind the two castles connected them.

The bird approached the stone castle first. Asia felt the bird's grip on her arm loosen, and panicked. However, Absinthe was dropped, screaming, into the sludgy moat surrounding evil. Asia watched her fall, guiltily feeling relieved. The bird spun around, and glided towards the magnificent crystal palace. But as it soared over the lake again, Asia spotted something she hadn't noticed before.

Nestled in fog, a tall tower stood. It shone silver, with a sharp, pointed roof, and a single, huge, open window. She was carried closer, closer-

Until a golden web wrapped around them.

Screeching, the bird tumbled into the lake, bringing Asia with it. Her screams were smothered when she was pulled underwater. Lungs burning, she desperately struggled against the net. Vision darkening, she scraped and bit at the net. Just before her breath gave out, the net gave, and she clawed to the surface.

She gulped in breath after breath of fresh air, struggling to float. She glanced around, searching for something, anything, to grab onto. She spotted a floating branch, and swam towards it, grabbing ahold. The current would take her to shore.


End file.
